Rotating locking cylinder for a safety lock

ABSTRACT

The rotary locking cylinder described has a stationary part (2) and a rotating part (3) plus several tumblers (8) each with a core pin (10) and a housing pin (9). Mounted in the rotating part (3) is at least one locking element (22) which can be displaced approximately at right angles to the core pin (10) of a tumbler (8) and in its position of rest engages in a recess (20) in the stationary part (2). The recess (20) in the stationary part (2) has a control surface (19) designed so that, when the unlocked stationary part (2) is rotated, the locking element (22) is moved towards the core pin (10). Machined in the surface (10b) of the core pin (10) is a groove (12) such that, with the core pin (10) inserted, after the rotating part (3) has rotated through a relatively small angle, the locking element (22) can be pushed far enough into the groove (12) for it to be lifted out of the recess (20) in the stationary part (2) and, with the core pin (10) not inserted, the locking element (22) essentially cannot be pushed out of its position of rest and rests against the surface (10b) of the core pin (10).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a rotating closing cylinder for a safety lock,having a stator and a rotor and a plurality of tumblers thatrespectively have a core pin and a housing pin.

2. Prior Art

Rotating closing cylinders of this type are well-known. To enable therotor to rotate, the tumblers are aligned with a key that is insertedinto the key conduit. The security of these rotating closing cylinderscan be impeded by the following break-in method: A break-in tool is usedto rotate the rotor about its axis of rotation with a certain torqueand, at the same time, the tumblers are moved radially outwardly due tovibration until all of the housing pins are behind the shoulder of therotor that has been formed by the rotation, and the rotor can be rotatedfurther, even without a key. Thwarting this break-in method washeretofore very costly.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to improve the break-in protectionprovided by a generic rotating closing cylinder. Nevertheless, therotating closing cylinder is intended to be inexpensive to produce, andfunction reliably. Break-in protection is defined here as the degree ofdifficulty an intruder would face in attempting to align the tumblerswithout knowledge of the lock code, but without destroying the lock. Theinvention is particularly intended to improve the break-in protectionprovided against the above-described break-in method.

In a generic rotating closing cylinder, the object is accomplished inthat at least one blocking element is seated in the rotor to bedisplaceable approximately transversely to a core pin of a tumbler, andto extend into a recess of the stator when in the non-operativeposition; that the recess of the stator has a control surface such thatthe blocking element is moved toward the core pin when the unblockedrotor is rotated; that a recess is cut into the circumference of thecore pin such that, when the core pin is aligned after the rotor hasbeen rotated by a comparatively small angle, the blocking element can bepushed into the recess of the stator until a it has been raised out ofthe recess; and that, when the core pin is not aligned, the blockingelement basically cannot be displaced out of its non-operative position,and rests against the outside of the core pin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the rotating closing cylinder of the invention, the rotor can only berotated if both the housing pins and the core pins are aligned. If onecore pin is not aligned, the blocking element cooperating with it cannotbe displaced out of the non-operative position into the unblockedposition. If all of the core pins are aligned, the recesses of the corepins are aligned such that the blocking elements can be displaced andcan extend into these recesses. An essential point is that the blockingelements extend into the recesses of the core pins only when the rotorhas been rotated out by the comparatively angle that is typical forrotating.

Thus, the blocking elements cannot be used to align the core pins in theabove-described break-in method. Only the housing pins can be alignedfor use in the method, not the core pins. The core pins are permanentlyunaligned in the corresponding bores of the rotor; it is highlyimprobable that all of the core pins will happen to be simultaneouslypositioned such that all of the blocking elements could be displaced. Asignificant advantage of the invention is that the necessary changes toexisting rotating closing cylinders are comparatively minor.Considerably higher security with respect to the described break-inmethod can be achieved at a relatively low cost.

According to a modification of the invention, production is particularlyinexpensive if the blocking element is embodied as a pin seated in abore of the rotor. A plurality of such blocking elements is preferablyprovided. Each blocking element is then associated with a core pin of atumbler series. The blocking element can, however, be a slide thatcooperates with a plurality of tumblers. The blocking element orelements can be kept in the non-operative position by its or theirnatural weight, or by a spring force.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further, advantageous features ensue from the dependent claims, thefollowing description and the drawings.

Two embodiments of the invention are explained in detail below inconjunction with the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a section through a part of a rotating closing cylinder ofthe invention,

FIG. 2 shows a section according to FIG. 1, but with an inserted key andthe rotor being in the rotated, unlocked state,

FIGS. 3 and 4 schematic representations of the cooperation between theblocking element and the core pin,

FIG. 5 shows a section through a tumbler according to a modification ofthe invention, and

FIG. 6 shows a section through a part of a rotating closing cylinder ofthe invention, according to the modification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a rotating closing cylinder 1 which includes a stator2 having a cylinder pocket 17, only indicated here, in which a rotor 3is seated in a longitudinal bore 24. Pin tumblers 8, each having ahousing pin 9 and a core pin 10, are seated in longitudinal conduits 5of the stator 2 and in radial, stepped bores 14 of the rotor 3. A slide4 is inserted into each conduit 5, and receives the housing pins 9 of atumbler series; seated in the slide are springs 25, which hold thetumbler pins 9 and 10 in the position shown in FIG. 1, in which the corepins 10 respectively rest with a shoulder 11 against a shoulder 26 of astepped bore 14. In this position, the rotor is blocked, as shown, bythe housing pins 9 extending past the shear line 7.

If a flat key 15 is inserted into the key conduit 6, the tumblers 8 canbe aligned in a manner known per se, and the rotor 3 can be rotated. Inthis instance, the key 15 is preferably a flat key having control bores16. The core pins 10 vary in length; the control bores 16correspondingly differ in depth.

A stepped bore 18, which terminates at the top into the stepped bore 14,is cut into the rotor 3, transversely to each stepped bore 14. Thestepped bore 14 could also be cut into the rotor 3 from above, and heldin the nonoperative position by means of a compression spring. At thebottom, the stepped bore 18 is open opposite a recess 20 of the stator.A blocking element 22 having a head 22a and an upwardly-projecting pin22b is inserted from below into each stepped bore 18. The head 22aextends into the recess 20 and rests with a surface 21, which extends ata diagonal with respect to the shear 7 against a parallel controlsurface 19 of the recess 20 (FIG. 2).

The blocking elements 22 are held by their own weight in the rotorposition shown in FIG. 1. An embodiment is also conceivable, however, inwhich the blocking elements 22 are held in the non-operative position bycompression springs, not shown here. Compression springs are useful whenthe blocking elements 22 are inserted from above into correspondingbores of the rotor.

Each core pin 10 has a circumferential groove 12 that is cut into theoutside and is disposed and embodied such that it is positioned at theheight of the associated stepped bore 18 when the core pin is aligned.The width of the groove 12 corresponds approximately to the width of theupper termination 18a of the stepped bore 18.

The function of the rotating closing cylinder 1 of the invention isdescribed below.

In the non-operative position of the rotor 3 according to FIG. 1, therotor is blocked against rotation by the housing pins 9. If all of thetumblers 8 are aligned with an associated key 15, when the rotor 3 isrotated, the blocking elements 22 are lifted out of the recesses 20 bythe control surfaces 19 at the surfaces 21, and the pins 22b extend intothe correspondingly-positioned groove 12. If, however, at least one corepin 10 is not aligned, the associated blocking element 22 cannot belifted from the recess 20 because the pin 22b rests with its end faceagainst the outside 10b, behind the groove 12. In the above-describedbreak-in method, in which only the housing pins 9 can be aligned, it ishighly likely that, at all times, a few core pins will not be in alignedpositions, so the blocking elements 22 block the rotor 3 when an attemptis made to rotate it.

The blocking elements 22 are seated with some play in the stepped bores18. When the rotor 3 is rotated in accordance with the aforementionedbreak-in method, the blocking elements 22 do not engage the core pins10, and accordingly cannot be aligned with the aid of the blockingelements 22.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a blocking element 22 is associated with eachtumbler of a tumbler series. FIG. 3 shows the position of the tumblerelements when the rotor 3 is in the position shown in FIG. 1. Incontrast, FIG. 4 shows the blocking elements 22 in the position of therotor 3 shown in FIG. 2. As is apparent from the drawing, the blockingelements are lifted and respectively extend into a groove 12. Anotherconceivable embodiment is one in which the number of blocking elements22 is less than the number of tumblers 8. Finally, it is alsoconceivable for a few or all of the blocking elements 22 to be connectedto one another.

The rotating closing cylinder 46 shown in FIG. 6 differs from theabove-described cylinder 1 solely through the embodiment of at least onetumbler 38. This tumbler 38 has a conventional housing pin 9 and a corepin 45, which are to be aligned for enabling the rotor 3. The core pin45 comprises a tip 39 having a cylindrical neck 40, onto which ahollow-cylindrical part 42 is inserted. A pin 44 having a flange 43 isseated to be displaceable to a limited extent in the inserted part. Acompression spring 41, which is inserted into the part 42 and is weakerthan the compression spring 25, exerts a force onto the pin 44 that actsin the left direction in FIG. 6.

In conventional use of the rotating closing cylinder, the pin 45 remainsin the lowered position shown in FIG. 6, and has no effect on thefunction of the rotating closing cylinder. If, however, in anunauthorized opening attempt, the housing pin 9 is moved outwardlywithout the core pin 38, the pin 44 is immediately moved radiallyoutwardly by the spring 41, and follows the housing pin 9, as indicatedin FIG. 5. The core pin 38 is consequently held in the position shown inFIG. 6 due to the corresponding counterforce. During an attempt to bringthe core pin 38 into the position in which the groove 12 is positionedat the height of the blocking element 22, the spring 41 counteracts thisaction, thereby impeding the attempted positioning of the core pin 38.

As explained above, the rotor 3 cannot be rotated due to the blockingelements 22 until the corresponding core pins 45 for all of the blockingelements 22 are positioned such that the respective groove 12 is at theheight of the associated blocking element 22. The correspondingalignment is especially impeded if a plurality of tumblers 38 cooperatewith blocking elements 22 and are provided with pins 44.

I claim:
 1. Rotating closing cylinder for a safety lock, having a stator(2) and a rotor (3) and a plurality of tumblers (8) respectively havinga core pin (10) engageable with a housing pin (9) located respectivelyin a slide (4) in the stator (2) and a steeped bore (14) in the rotor(3), wherein at least one displaceable blocking element (22) is seatedin the rotor (3) and, in a non-operative position where the core pin 10and the housing pin (9) are coaxially engaged, the blocking element (22)extends into a recess (20) of the stator (2), that the recess (20) ofthe stator (2) has a control surface (19) such that, when the unblockedrotor (3) is rotated, the blocking element (22) is moved toward the corepin (10), that a recess (12) is cut into the circumference (10b) of thecore pin (10) such that, when the core pin (10) is aligned with a shearline (7) following a rotation of the rotor (3) by a comparatively smallangle, the blocking element (22) can be pushed into the recess (12) ofthe stator (2) until the blocking element (22) has been lifted out ofthe recess (12), and that, when the core pin (10) is not aligned theblocking element (22) basically cannot be displaced out of saidnon-operative position and rests against the outside (10b) of the corepin (10), wherein the blocking element (22) is seated with some play inthe rotor (3) such that, when the rotor (3) is rotated, the blockingelement (22) is not in engagement with the associated core pin (10), andthat the blocking element (22) is displaceable approximatelytransversely to the core pin (10) of tumbler (8) and each of saidplurality of tumblers (8) is engaged by a spring (25) which holds thehousing pin (9) in a position in which a first shoulder (11) of thecorresponding core pin (10) engages a second shoulder (26) of thestepped bore (14) of the rotor, wherein the housing pin (9) extends pastthe shear line (7) of said stepped bore (14) of the rotor.
 2. Rotatingclosing cylinder according to claim 1, wherein the recess is acircumferential groove at the circumference (10b) of the core pin (10).3. Rotating closing cylinder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein theblocking element (22) is inserted into a recess (18) that is cut intothe underside or top side of the rotor (3).
 4. Rotating closing cylinderaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the blocking element (22)has a pin that is seated in a bore (18) of the rotor (3).
 5. Rotatingclosing cylinder according to one of claims 1 through 4, wherein ablocking element (22) is respectively associated with a plurality oftumblers (8).
 6. Rotating closing cylinder according to claim 1, whereinthe blocking element (22) or elements has or have a head (22a) thatextends into a recess (20) of the stator (2).
 7. Rotating closingcylinder according to claim 6, wherein weight of the head (22a) holdsthe blocking element in the non-operative position in the recess (20).8. Rotating closing cylinder for a safety lock, having a stator (2) anda rotor (3) and a plurality of tumblers (8) respectively having a corepin (10) engageable with a housing pin (9) located respectively in aslide (4) in the stator (2) and a stepped bore (14) in the rotor,wherein at least one displaceable blocking element (22) is seated in therotor (3) and, in a non-operative position where the core pin (10) andthe housing pin (9) are coaxially engaged, the blocking element (22)extends into a recess (20) of the stator (2), that the recess (20) ofthe stator (2) has a control surface (19) such that, when the unblockedrotor (3) is rotated, the blocking element (22) is moved toward the corepin (10), that a recess (12) is cut into the circumference (10b) of thecore pin (10) such that, when the core pin (10) is aligned with a shearline (7) following a rotation of the rotor (3) by a comparatively smallangle, the blocking element (22) can be pushed into the recess (12) ofthe stator (2) until the blocking element (22) has been lifted out ofthe recess (12), and that, when the core pin (10) is not aligned, theblocking element (22) basically cannot be displaced out of saidnon-operative position and rests against the outside (10b) of the corepin (10) wherein the blocking element (22) is seated with some play inthe rotor (3) such that, when the rotor (3) is rotated, the blockingelement (22) is not in engagement with the associated core pin (10), andthat the blocking element (22) is displaceable approximatelytransversely to a core pin (10) of a tumbler (8), wherein at least onecore pin (38) has a pin (44) that is seated to be displaceable to alimited extent in the core pin and, due to the action of a spring (41),follows a housing pin (9) moving away from the core pin (38).